By Maria Gamb
There are a number of solid business tools I could share with you which shifted not just my business but those of my clients. These lessons and tools have brought a multitude of income into companies, startups and big corporations. Would you like to know what they are?
Okay, here’s the truth.
Without this next piece of information a majority of what you may think will bring you to the Promised Land won’t. Here’s why. Any change that will stick for the long haul usually starts from within. It’s introspective and it usually will take you more than a moment to consider these elements. But once you do it’s a game changer.
What do you value?
Without knowing you’re highest value you may find yourself out of alignment with the work you’re doing, the business you’re building or the relationships you may have. It often feels like an utter disconnect that leaves you standing alone in a room wondering “is this all it’s really about?” or “why does this just feel so wrong to me?”
Often times we take on the values of our parents. They may be good strong values but they may be as archaic as the time they were crafted. You’ll hear words like honest, trustworthy, family etc. Which are all wonderful. But are they right for you. This may sound like a throw down challenge to you, and in fact it is. There are more than 72 different “values” you can utilize to create the foundation of your life and business upon. So which ones are really important to you?
Meet Meg. A happy-go-lucky, manifest like wild fire woman, who spent most of her career in the financial industry analyzing numbers. Meg was never truly happy and at the first chance her bravery would allow her, she left her career. When she analyzed what she was doing in comparison to what she, not her family, valued, she realized why she was so out of sync with her life. Her family value was one of security. You never walk away from it and you do whatever there is in your power to get it. But Meg’s highest value is “balance”. Balance can be interpreted many ways but for Meg, it was about the physical and financial balance of people, organizations and teams. It also meant social justice.
Remember this is very personal, so “balance” may mean something else to you. But for Meg, after years of searching for what she wanted to do in the world, she realized that her gift was to be part of helping organizations which are also trying to create balance and social justice in the world. She’s gone on to be part of 3 major high-level organizations to do just that. Oh and, to be paid quite handsomely for it as well. Because part of the importance of values, is to know your value and to be compensated accordingly.
What do others value?
This is a listening skill that once mastered can bring you unlimited opportunities and earning potential. When you know what another person values, it will help you to connect more deeply with them. This is important because in order to move your great vision to fruition you need others to help you. Not everyone is motivated by what you may find motivating. Which is to say, they may be motivated by a different value than you. This could be an endless enquiry but one can easily break people down into 3 categories. The good news is that you don’t need a Phd to learn this simple technique. People are motivated by Power, Affiliation and Achievement. That’s it. When you know which one, then you can communicate your big vision to them in a way that makes sense to them and helps connect you to their heart. The job gets done. People bend over backwards to help you.
Meet Kelly. Kelly is a high-powered entrepreneur who runs her own sales team on a national level. There are more than 120 people on this team! Kelly had a big challenge in getting her team motivated to hit a significant sales goal this year. It meant a lot for her personally, to her family and community. But these values, which would sit in the category of affiliation, only resonated with roughly 30% of her total team. Once she realized this Kelly was able to readjust her communication skills to reach the other 70% and engage them in a way that was meaningful to them. You can never underestimate the importance of speaking to others where they are. By doing so, Kelly increased her business by 23% from the prior year. And it was done within a 6-month period. Now wouldn’t that be nice in YOUR life too!? Subtle changes make a massive difference!
Ask for what you want
One of the biggest issues women face in business is that they do not ask for what they want. This has been proven by a number of studies over the years. We are socially conditioned not to want to appear too aggressive or overly assertive. This is a social value that many women have embraced subconsciously. Many women believe that if they just work hard others will notice and they in turn will be compensated accordingly or raised to new levels. The truth is, that’s not going to happen.
Meet Lorna. Lorna is an attorney with a small practice outside of the United States. She’d always wanted to make a bigger impact in her community and on the lives of others but often times felt powerless to do so despite the impact of the development projects she worked on. What she wanted was to be part of her countries political cabinet where the decisions were being made. For years she pined for the opportunity to be engaged at this level. But it wasn’t until she learned the importance of her values and the absolute added value she could bring to the world that she stepped up, put her hand up and said, “I want this”. Once she did, Lorna was tapped to sit on several different high-level commissions and even to hold a cabinet committee seat that will improve the safety and lives of others on a national level.
Know what you value
Be aware of what others value too and meet them where they are.
And for goodness sake, know that what you have to offer in the world is extremely valuable. Put YOUR hand up, be counted and ask for what you want.
These skills and tools are taught by Maria Gamb, CEO of NMS Communications and Mentor to many top level entrepreneurs and executives at her “Value to Vision Retreat” www.Value2VisionRetreat.com being held October 25-28th, 2012. Maria is the 20+ year veteran of corporate American and entrepreneur who teaches people how to regain their power, influence and leadership and rebuild their profits with integrity. She is an Amazon best-selling author of “Healing the Corporate World”, a monthly contributor to Forbes magazine and had been featured in Time Business and Inc magazine. You can find out more about Maria on her website: www.MariaGamb.com
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